Using the Casey Foster Home Assessment Tools (CFFA): The CFAI

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Using the Casey Foster Home Assessment Tools
(CFFA) The CFAI

• An Interactive Learning Module for End Users

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How to Use This Learning Module

• Click on the navigation buttons to move
  through this learning module as follows
• Move forward to the next slide.
• Move back to the previous slide.
• Return to the Table of Contents select new
  content.
• Indicate an answer to a question.
• Go to the CFFA web site

WEB
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How to view the website during the training
module

• During the training module we suggest links to
  important information on the www.fosterfamilyasses
  sments.org web site. If you want to go to the web
  site to view information, click on the button.
  When you are finished, minimize the web site to
  return to the training module.

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Table of Contents
Introduction to the Module Overview of the
CFAI Completing the CFAI Understanding the
CFAI Comparison Report

You can navigate to any part of the content
by clicking the button next to a content area.

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Handout for this module

• As you go through this module, you will use the
  following handout Delaney Comparison Report.

Click here to download your copy of the Delaney
Comparison Report handout now.
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Introduction

• This interactive learning module prepares you
  to use online versions of the Casey Foster
  Family Assessment (CFFA) tools for assessing
  foster and foster/ adoptive parent applicants.

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After completing this self-study module you will
know about..

• Locating the CFAI on www. fosterfamilyassessments
  .org
• Explaining the subscales of the CFAI
• Accessing the web site and complete measures
  online
• Getting the CFAI Comparison Report
• Interpreting the contents of the Comparison
  Report

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Overview of the CFAI
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The CFAI is specific to family structure and type

• You can use the tools with
• One- and two-parent families, including same-sex
  two-parent families
• Families with and without children
• Kinship families

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There are two versions of the CFAI
Together, the CFAI-A and the CFAI-W give the best
vantage point for predicting how applicants will
do as foster/adoptive parents and what types of
help and support they will need.
CFAI-A is the applicants self-assessment of his
or her potential
CFAI-W gives your perspective of the applicants
potential
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CFAI Description

• Applicants and workers rate each item on a
  four-point response scale
• strongly disagree
• disagree
• strongly agree
• agree
• The CFAI-A requires a 6th grade reading level
• A Spanish version will be available in 2006
• You can download a PDF version of the CFAI-A to
  give to applicants

WEB
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CFAI-A Has 6 Possible Subscales

• All applicants receive scores on the three core
  subscales
• Foster Child Development
• Challenging Children
• Worker/Agency Challenges

Click here for descriptions of the core
subscales
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Descriptions of the core subscales

• Foster Child Development addresses ability to
  promote a childs positive development and
  well-being while also minimizing inappropriate
  social behavior and emotional expression.
• Challenging Children assesses potential to care
  for children with specific challenging
  characteristics or behavior patterns.
• Worker/Agency Challenges addresses the
  applicants potential to work in partnership with
  you and agencies, even under difficult
  circumstances.

Click here to return to CFAI subscales
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Applicants complete subgroup subscales based on
demographics

• Married applicants
• Co-Parenting subscale
• Applicants with children
• Integrating Foster Children subscale
• Applicants who plan to care for a relative
• Kinship Care subscale

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Descriptions of subgroup subscales

• Co-Parenting subscale assesses agreement partners
  regarding child-rearing issues and parenting, and
  the presence of supportive co-parenting
  behaviors.
• Integrating Foster Children subscale assesses
  perceptions of how children already in the family
  feel about having foster children join the
  family.
• Kinship Care subscale addresses ability to care
  for a child who is related.

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CFAI-W has 4 Subscales

• General Potential to Foster Subscale
• One general subscale about your perspective of an
  applicants potential ability to provide care
• Subgroup subscales
• Co-parenting
• Integrating Foster Children
• Kinship Care

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The CFAI-A and CFAI-W results are reported on the
Comparison Report

• Key Features
• Applicants responses to the CFAI-A
• Your responses to the CFAI-W
• CFAI-A summary of scores
• CFAI-W summary of scores
• Flagged items that identify strengths
• Flagged items that identify risks

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CFAI Review

• Who completes the CFAI-W?
• The applicant
• The worker
• The collateral reference

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Yes!

• You answered B. The CFAI-W is completed by the
  worker. The applicant completes the CFAI-A.
  Having the perspective of the worker and the
  applicant involves the applicant in mutual
  assessment and provides two points of view about
  the applicants potential to foster.
• Go to the next question

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Nope. Try again.

• You answered A. The applicant completes the
  CFAI-A.
• Return to the question

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Nope. Try again.

• You answered C. The CFAI does not ask for
  information from references.
• Return to the question

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CFFA Review

• The CFAI-A applicant version has 6 subscales
  and the CFAI-W worker version has ___ subscales.
• 4
• 5
• 6

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Yes. You are correct!

• You answered A. The CFAI-A has 6 subscales and
  the CFAI-W has 4 subscales, one general subscale
  of fostering potential and 3 subgroup subscales.
• Go to the next section

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Nope. Try again.

• You answered B.
• Return to the question

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Nope. Try again.

• You answered C.
• Return to the question

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Completing the CFAI
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Begin by going to the home page
www.fosterfamilyassessments.org

• Click on Take Assessments
• Click on Take Assessment Front Page

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Take Assessments-Front Page

• The applicant completes the CFAI-A
• Then, you have 120 days to complete the CFAI-W in
  order to get a Comparison Report

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You and the applicant have to enter the following
information to get a Comparison Report

• The case ID number for the applicant
• The applicants first name
• The applicants date of birth
• Your e-mail address
• Your agencys name
• You and the applicant have to type in the same
  information exactly the same way (no extra
  spaces)
• Download a Word document form of instructions for
  foster parents from the Quick Start for Agency
  Workers page

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To complete the CFAI

• Follow the instructions at the top of the page
• Answer all items. If an item does not completely
  apply to the foster parents situation, try to
  select the closest one that reflects the parent
  from the alternatives given
• At least 80 of items have to be completed to get
  a Comparison Report
• Notice two important features
• You cannot check two responses for the same item
• The bar at the top indicates the percentage of
  the survey the worker

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CFAI subscales

• Complete the subscales based on the applicants
  demographic characteristics
• Applicants will not see these special group
  subscale items if they answered No to the
  related demographic questions

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Aggregate demographics

• Aggregate demographics are essential to further
  test and develop the CFAI. The first time that
  you use the online CFAI, take a moment to
  complete this section.
• This information will be stored to match with
  future surveys. Your e-mail address matches the
  information to surveys.

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Aggregate demographics

• You need to re-enter the demographics if your
  status changes in any of those areas. For
  example, if its been over a year since you first
  began using the tool, you may need to complete
  this demographic section again to indicate that
  youve been working in your field for 3 years,
  instead of 2.

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Get a Comparison Report for your case record

• Click SUMBIT RESULTS
• In 10-15 seconds, a PDF file of the Comparison
  Report will appear
• SAVE the file to your desktop by clicking on the
  save icon at the top left corner of the page

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Understanding the CFAI Comparison Report
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Reading the Delaney Comparison Report a handout

• As you go through the slides, you can also look
  at those same results with your copy of the
  Delaney Comparison Report.

Click here to download your copy of the Delaney
Comparison Report handout now if you have not
done so.
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The Comparison Report has results for the CFAI-A
and the CFAI-W
CFAI-A has 6 subscales
Higher percentile ranks mean greater potential to
foster
CFAI-W has 4 subscales
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Applicants CFAI scores are reported as
percentile ranks
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Percentile Ranks
Learning Curve
Percentile ranks compare applicants responses
with responses of a reference group of
experienced foster parents.
Applicants CFAI Score
Percentile ranks tell the percentage of
experienced foster parents in the reference group
who have CFAI scores lower than the applicants
score.
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Percentile ranks range from 1-99
Learning Curve
99th Percentile (PR)
Applicants CFAI Score
Reference Group of Experienced Foster Parents
1st Percentile (PR)
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How percentile ranksdetermine potential
Learning Curve

• A PR score of 75 or above indicates
• 75 of the reference group scored lower than the
  applicant.
• The applicant has a strength in this area.

Applicants PR
75th PR
High Potential
Strength

• A PR score of 25 or below indicates
• 25 of the reference group scored lower than the
  applicant.
• This identifies and area for growth as a foster
  parent.

25th PR
Low Potential
Area for Growth
Applicants PR
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Find Marias CFAI-A Summary on page 7 of the
Delaney Comparison Report
Learning Curve
High Potential
Strength
Marias CFAI-A percentile rank for foster child
development is 76.5..
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Foster Child Development
Learning Curve
Marias PR score of 76.5 indicates a special
strength in meeting the developmental needs of
children in foster care.
Marias PR76.5
75th PR
High Potential
Strength
Next, see how Maria assessed herself in other
important areas of fostering potential.
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Return to the CFAI-A Summary
Learning Curve
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Marias CFAI-A percentile rank for other
subscales fell below the 25th percentile
Learning Curve
High Potential
Strength
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Challenging Children
Learning Curve
Marias PR score of 14 indicates that she has
concerns about her potential to care for children
with specific challenging characteristics or
behavior patterns.
Maria identifies caring for children with
challenging behaviors as an area for growth.
25th PR
Low Potential
Area for Growth
Marias PR14
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Return to Marias CFAI-A Summary
Learning Curve
High Potential
Strength
Find Marias Score on the Coparenting Subscale.
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Coparenting
Learning Curve
Marias PR score of 8 indicates that only 8 of
experienced foster parents scored lower than
Maria on the Coparenting subscale.
Experienced foster parents know the importance of
working together as a couple. At times, fostering
can stress even the strongest relationships.
Maria and Richard may need additional support
from their worker as they face unfamiliar
parenting decisions.
25th PR
Low Potential
Area for Growth
Marias PR8
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Return to the CFAI-A Summary
Learning Curve
Find Marias score on the Worker/Agency
Challenges Subscale
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Worker/Agency Challenges
Learning Curve
Marias PR score of 22 indicates that Maria sees
her relationship with her worker and the agency
as an important influence on her fostering
potential.
25th PR
Her worker can use Marias self-report to clarify
roles and to build a strong collaborative
relationship with Maria and Richard.
Low Potential
Area for Growth
Marias PR22
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Your turn Find Richards Percentile Ranks on the
CFAI-A subscales
Learning Curve
What is Richards potential on the integrating
Foster Children subscale?
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Integrating Foster Children
Learning Curve
Richards PR score of 4 indicates that he has
questions about how having a foster child living
with the family may affect their son, Thomas.
25th PR
He would benefit from more information about the
effects of fostering on the family.
Low Potential
Area for Growth
Richards PR4
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Your turn Find Richards Percentile Ranks on the
CFAI-A subscales
Learning Curve
What other areas for growth did Richard identify?
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Your turn Answer
Learning Curve

• Parenting children with challenging behaviors
• Coping with worker/agency challenges
• Coparenting

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Find the CFAI-W Summary on page 8 of the Delaney
Comparison Report
Learning Curve
The worker assessed Maria as having high general
potential for fostering. She identified Richards
concerns about how having foster children will
affect their son, Thomas.
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Next, compare the CFAI-W and CFAI-A Summaries
Learning Curve
Workers view
Applicants view
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What additional areas of agreement do you see in
the score summaries?
Learning Curve
Workers view
Applicants view
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Find the Flagged Items on the Delaney Summary
Report
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Flagged Items indicate risks and strengths
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Maria and Richards Strengths

• Maria and Richard identify that they have a
  strong relationship. They believe that their son,
  Thomas wants to have a foster sibling.

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Possible Risks

• Richard reports that he spanks his son, Thomas.

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Interpreting Results

• Maria has a special strength in her ability to
  promote a childs development
• Both Maria and Richard expressed some concerns
  about their co-parenting. Fostering can be
  stressful and couples with scores in this range
  may have problems working together to care for a
  foster child
• Richard indicates that he might that he spanks
  his son. Foster parents need to have non-physical
  strategies for helping children improve their
  behaviors.

• Results from the CFAI suggest that the worker
  should talk with Richard and Maria further about
  how they work together and support each other as
  parents
• They may need additional training about
  non-physical discipline techniques, behavior
  management strategies, and the affects of
  fostering on the family

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This concludes Using the Casey Foster Family
Assessments the CFAI

• Thank you for your interest in learning about the
  CFFA!
• Other interactive self-tutorials on the CFFA
• Introduction to the CFFA
• Completing the CHAP Measures
• Sharing Information about the CFFA with
  Caregivers

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tutorial, click on the button then press PrtSc
on your keyboard
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tutorial.
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Certificate of Completion
Is presented to
(Trainees Name)
For completing the online interactive training
module
Using the Casey Foster Family Assessment Tools
(CFFA) The CFAI
(Date Completed)